Electricity has become a very important component of modern day living; whether you are thinking about our industries, offices, home entertainment or just about any other facet of our day to day lives, all you can see is electricity in every application. Commercial electricians are responsible for dealing with electric connections and service upgrades and they work with different types of wires so as to create optimal connections. Even though you are a lay person on matters electrical, it doesn’t hurt when you know a few things about service upgrades but more important it should be for the sake of your own safety when dealing with electricity.

Copper wires: Coppers wires are considered the golden standard by commercial electricians when it comes to wiring. Majority of the home appliances you have almost always rely on copper wires for the transfer of electricity and there are very good reasons for this. Copper is among the best conductors of electricity and molding or bending it is never such a big deal. Copper is also easily available and this makes it good material so that any electrical upgrades that are desired at home can actually become affordable.

Aluminum wires: While aluminum is cheaper and more readily available than copper and can be bent more easily, it is not among the best conductors of electricity. When compared to copper, you will need a wire of a larger diameter than copper for you to carry an equal amount of electricity. Electric safety is also a big issue in homes where aluminum wiring is in use; this especially applies to any homes that were built in the 60s and 70s. The main problem is that whenever there is a bigger load of electricity required to pass through the aluminum wires it becomes a real fire hazard. Aluminum is mainly used or industrial electrical upgrades where it can be used in larger diameters but it is not the best for residential service upgrades.

Alloys and silver wires: For industrial electrical upgrades, commercial electricians prefer to use a combination of aluminum and copper in order to easily bridge the gap between cost effectiveness and performance; you will not find this type of wiring anywhere within residential buildings. Silver may be a very good a conductor of electricity and has been used to make electrical wires especially for use in very high temperature conditions. There are certain conditions especially in industrial settings where safety can very easily get compromised if silver is not used as the conductor. No matter what kind of service upgrade you are thinking about, you need to advice of a commercial electrician so you can be sure that your safety is well taken care of. This little knowledge about what wires are used for service upgrades gives you information most homeowners don’t know about.

Author's Bio: 

This article is penned by Lora Davis for Powerman Electrical. The company is based in San Diego, CA and offers a range of electrical services like electrical troubleshooting and temp power solutions for constructions sites etc.